Check-rower for corn-planters



no Model.)

M. OALLAN, Jr. I CHECK ROWER FOR 0mm PLANTERS.

Patented Mar. 20, 1883.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC -MICHAEL GALLAN, JE.,

OF LYTLE oIrY, IOWA.

CHECK-ROWER FOR CORN-PLANTERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 274,266, dated March 20, 1883.

' Application filed October I, 1882. (Remodel) have in vented certain new and usefulImprove ments in Check-Rowers for Corn-Plan ters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

I clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertainstomake and use the same.

The objects of my iinprovementin check-rowers are to lessen the number of parts and avoid complexity, thus reducing friction; to support the knotted wire or cord independently of the feed hoppers and other mechanism of the corn-planter, by which many breakages of these parts are avoided to lessen by one-half the number of knots or trippets usually employed to operate the levers controlling the feed-slide; to prevent the machine from being clogged by dirt, and to improve the construction and operation of the anchor device, by which the chain is easily shifted.

The invention consists of certain parts and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side perspective of a planter embodying my improvements, and showing the form and location of the anchor; and Fig. 2 is a side perspective, partly in section, showing the device for operating the seed-slides.

My improvements may be attached to any corn-planter of ordinary construction. 1 l have shown one form of such planter in the drawings, in which- A A are the side bars, and B, B, and B the cross-bars, constituting the frame, which is mounted on the side wheels, 1 2.

C 0 are the seed-hoppers, mounted respectively overthe tubes D,which are so arranged as to conduct the grain down into the furrows made by the runners E.

F is the drivers seat, mounted upon crossbars B and B.

The devices constituting the check-rower proper are attached to side about a foot outside of the machine on crosspieces, which may be extensions of the crosspieces B B B, or consist of other supports extending from the main frame. The bars Gr bars, G, supported provided with anchor-pins z are united at the front by cross-piece 3, which is supported by the tongue, as shown in Fig. 1. These duplicate seed-slide-operating devices mounted on bars G-one on each side of the machine and parallel theretooperate alternately to carry the chain or cord, which does not cross the machine, as is the case in many planters.

. H is a box consisting of two plates, 1' i, riveted to the opposite sides of bar G, and pro-' vided with a lid,j, and a spring-catch,j to hold the lid closed. The plate 2" on the inner side of the bar G is setoft from the bar by lugs, (not shown,) to give the box an open bottom, to admit the falling through ofdirt. H isa simi larly-constructed box on the opposite end of bar G.

K is one arm of a crank-lever pivoted to the oscillating arm L. It is bent so as to enter:

the box H, in which it is given a reciprocating motion by the operation of the cord, as hereinafter described. 7

M is a corresponding arm, pivoted to the opposite end of 'arm L. and reciprocating in the opposite box, H, Each of these arms is provided with a forked head or crotch, Z, and a cross-pin, m, the cross-pin mv moving to and fro ina slot, m Each box, also, is provided with a small roller, 8, for the purpose hereinafter mentioned.

N is an oscillating lever, connected with arm L by pivot h passing through plate 0. To the inner end of lever N is attached a rod, 71, which connects with a reciprocating bar, R, for operating the seed-slide, through a short arm,"Z

T is a pulley mounted on the top of a slotted standard, t, which is placed on the forward end of bar G, as shown in Fig. 2, to conduct the chain into the box H and maintain it in a straight line.

X is the chain or cord,pr0vided with knots W at a distance from each other of two rows.

Y is the anchor, consisting of a single bent piece of metal or stout wire, having a loop, y formed bya single twist of the rod, to which loop the end of the chain is connected, and

rod is attached by loops, so that it will turn thereon. The anchor-pins are fixed in the ground in line with the rows. When the end to which the IOG ' This gives the oscillating arms L and N a motion 2 amete of a row is reached the chain is shifted to the next row by simply turning over the looped rod. One round is thus planted without shifting the anchor.

. The operation of the machine is as follows: As the planter is moved forward the knots W of the chain first come in contact with the crotch b in the end of arm K, which has the elfect to carry said arm backward. This motion is communicated to the oscillating'levers L and N, which serve, through rod n, to move laterally the sliding bar R and the seed-slide Z", and thus release a charge of seed from the hopper 0. As the knot carries the arm backward the pin m moves downward in the slot 112*, thus releasing the knot from the crotch. The knot now strikes the roller 8, and is carried thereby beyond the crotch and the box W. As the machine moves forward the same knot comes in contact with the opposite crotch on the end of the arm M within the box H.

in the opposite direction, which serves to again move the feed-slide, and the knot is disengaged from the crotch and box by the same mechanism already described as connected with box H. Thus the movement of one knot alone serves to operate the sli'de of each hopper twice, which operation effects the planting of two hills on each row. At the end of the row the chain is shifted to the other side of the planter by the means already described,and the operation repeated with the duplicated devices on that side of the machine. The lids of the boxes held down by the spring-catch serve to keep the chain and knots in place during their passage. In this machine springs for automatically operating' the levers and slide are dispensed with. Unehalf of the number of knots usually employed is dispensed with, thus making the chain lighter, and reducing to the same extent the friction on the chain and other parts.

The chain and its supports are entirely disconnected from the hoppers, being supported mainly by the frame resting upon the tongue, and thereby the breaking and damaging of the hoppers by operation or clogging of chain are avoided. The chain and knots not crossing the machine, all unequal strain on the planter is also avoided.

It will be seen, also, that the apparatus, by the fewness and simplicity of its parts, avoids the friction consequent on the employment of complicated mechanism and admits of quick and easy repair.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a check-rower, the combination of the front horizontal cross-bar, 3, supported by the tongue. the boxes H, the reciprocating arms provided with the forked heads and cross-pins, the oscillating levers, the sliding bar, the feedslide, and the chain, all supported independently of the feed-boxes, and constructed substantially as described.

2. In a check-rower, thebox H, through which the chain is carried, consisting of the side plates, 1' 1', provided with alid, and having an open bottom to permit the dirt to fall through, substantially as described.

3. In a corn-planter, the combination of the side bars supporting the check-row device and the front cross-bar, 3, resting upon the tongue, whereby the chain and its supports are entirely disconnected from the hoppers and are mainly supported by the tongue, substantially as described.

4. The supporting side bars, G,united at the front end by cross-piece 3, supported by the tongue, in combination with the guide-wheel T, the reciprocating arms, each provided with forked heads and cross-pin, said pin moving in a slot, m in box H, and the said box H, provided with roller 8, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The anchor Y, consisting of a single piece of bent rod or wire having two arms, the shorter arm and the loop 1 formed by a single twist of the rod or wire, and provided with the stakepins 22, attached thereto, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J NO. W. SIMS, G. W. F..SWARTZELL. 

